Best Of MN

Achieving pancake perfection is no easy task. So WCCO viewers helped Matt Brickman track down the best flapjacks in Minnesota. The winner ended up sending him nearly to Iowa: Bud’s Cafe in Bricelyn. Tom Hughes is a man who lets his hotcakes speak for themselves.

Minnesota knows its apples. The U of M developed the Sweet Tango, the Zestar and the state fruit — The Honey Crisp. Orchards are brimming with people, trying to get their hands on those apples this time of year.

All week long Matt Brickman has found out what WCCO viewers chose as the best parts of the Minnesota State Fair. From the best entertainment, to the best dessert, to the best ride — he searched all across the Great Minnesota Get-Together for the creme of the crop.

The State Fair is a slice of heaven for those with a sweet tooth. But what’s the best dessert at the Great Minnesota Get-Together? WCCO viewers sent Matt Brickman to Sweet Martha’s for those delicious cookies.

WCCO viewers sent Matt Brickman to the Midway on Tuesday to find the Minnesota State Fair’s best prizes. And at the Midway, the bigger the prize, the more people want it. But they don’t just give them away.

The hit of this year’s fair has been a long time in the making, according to Carol and Fred Helmer. “We’ve been in the concession business for over 30 years and it’s always been our dream to get into the Minnesota State Fair,” Carol said. It took the Helmers 14 years of applying before finally getting admitted into the fair in 2007. So to see their olives turn into such a hit meant the world.

Each night of the state fair, WCCO will be asking viewers what their favorite part of the Great Minnesota Get-Together. To start it off, viewers told Matt Brickman which food-on-a-stick is the best. And tradition won over as the Pronto Pup came in first.

WCCO viewers picked their favorite farmers market in the state and the winner just happened to be the location that Zagat named as one of the eight must-visit farmers markets in the county. It’s the St. Paul Farmers Market, a market celebrating 160 years in the making. This is what sets St. Paul apart is the freshness of its products.

WCCO viewers spoke up and selected their favorite Minnesota roadside attraction. Not unlike Texas, everything seems bigger in Minnesota. From Baudette to Blue Earth, Rothsay to Red Lake, in Minnesota even our balls of twine are larger than life.

What’s Minnesota’s best bike trail? WCCO viewers voted and the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike and State Trail, located near Brainerd, came out on top. “When you’re on the mountain bike trails and you come around a corner on one of those trails and there’s this mine lake down below — crystal clear blue that looks like the Caribbean — I mean it’s so spectacular,” Jenny Smith said.

Now that it’s beach season, maybe you’re trying to eat healthier. So Matt Brickman sought out the best salad in Minnesota, and WCCO viewers sent him to Crossroads Deli in Minnetonka, famous for their strawberry chicken salad.

With the Fourth of July just a week away, WCCO viewers picked out Minnesota’s Best Campground. And the Boundary Waters came out on top. After 30 minutes of paddling in search of the campsite, it’s obvious that camping in the BWCA is a little different than at other campgrounds.

In the summer months, small towns in Minnesota are brightened by the sights and sounds of townball. Amateur baseball has been a tradition in this state for almost a century, and for some towns the ballparks themselves are as much an attraction as the game.

Summer unofficially begins this weekend and for families with young kids, that means a trip to the playground. WCCO viewers voted and their favorite playground in Minnesota is the Litchfield Community Built Playground on Lake Ripley.

WCCO viewers picked what they believed to be the Best Patio in Minnesota, and Psycho Suzi’s in Northeast Minneapolis came out on top. When sitting on Psycho Suzi’s patio, it’s easy to feel like you’ve left the North Star state.

We are in the middle of March Madness, and on Thursday and Friday, there were as many as four games going on simultaneously. So this week Matt Brickman went in search to find the best sports bar in Minnesota.